Mangrove restoration project, Tudor Creek, Mombasa, Kenya

Mangroves are vital ecosystems that straddle the interface between land and sea, thriving in coastal zones characterised by brackish water. Their significance extends far beyond their seemingly modest presence, as they play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance, serving as nurseries for various marine species, protecting coastlines from erosion, and mitigating the impacts of climate change by efficiently storing carbon in their biomass and soils. Furthermore, mangroves are invaluable to societies and economies, contributing to fisheries, tourism, and shoreline stabilisation.

Despite their critical role, mangroves face numerous threats, including deforestation, pollution, and climate change. Coastal development often leads to the clearing of mangrove forests for urban expansion or aquaculture, disrupting the delicate balance of these ecosystems. Pollution from industrial activities and improper waste disposal further jeopardises their health, while climate change exacerbates the risks through rising sea levels and extreme weather events. Most notably, illegal cutting of mangroves for fuel wood or charcoal production, a proportion of which is sold in major cities, is common along the Swahili coast and deeply related to insufficient livelihood opportunities for local communities.

In Tudor Creek, Mombasa, AKF is working with a local youth-led NGO called Big Ship to build on community-led mangrove conservation and restoration efforts, and to share knowledge about holistic approaches to environmental solutions.

Mombasa in a coastal city in Kenya with around 3,700 hectares of mangroves. Rapid urbanisation and urban sprawl, poor waste management, illegal logging, pollution, and lack of awareness have led to the loss of these vital peri-urban forests.

“The mangrove forest belongs to the community,” said Susan, Head of Programmes at Big Ship. “We ensure that the community can own the process. We work with communities to look for ways to improve living standards and provide alternative sources of livelihoods because they used to rely on mangrove forests.”

By offering alternative sources of employment like beekeeping, nursery management, and waste collection for recycling , Big Ship is helping communities realise that mangrove restoration and conservation can open new opportunities. “People who were logging are now trained scouts doing beekeeping – they’ve seen the importance of beekeeping and planting trees. [Restoring the mangroves] has opened opportunities for crab hunting, and the size of crabs are larger than what they used to be. The forest cover has also increased,” said Susan.

Mangrove initiatives are also bringing new opportunities to unemployed Kenyan youth. As part of AKF’s Green Champions programme, young Kenyans and unemployed technicians are connected to local organisations like Big Ship to build their skills and knowledge in mangrove conservation and restoration.

Learn more: www.akf.org.uk/the-mangrove-forest-belongs-to-the-communi...

Taken on: January 15, 2024

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Aga Khan Foundation

Christopher Wilton-Steer

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